Tag Archives: love

I was very lucky to not only have the pleasure of proofing this one but also to receive an #ARC from RJ and it’s a real pleasure to review this one.

As anyone following my news feed a month or so ago will be aware, I had never read the Texas series until then and I binge devoured this Dallasty saga in all its soap like glory over a period of a few days.

When we left Riley and Jack, they were happily settled on their ranch with 10 years of marriage behind them and their four kids, surrounded by associated family, friends and the young people they were helping make better lives for themselves.

In this one, we pick up with Hayley heading off for college and it was so lovely to catch up with this bunch. The story covers a long period, it offers up a few shocks and surprises and a few inevitable outcomes which are happily welcome.

Throughout it all though, the love which anchors Jack and Riley together is only strengthened by the trials they have to pass through and the result is a book which takes the story of the Double D Ranch and lays down a solid foundation for this whole saga to go into the future together. This is another wonderful Happy Ever After to add to the Texas series.

I’ve been a fan of Michael Ausiello since I started watching American TV series Glee and started following him to check for spoilers and other snippets about that show so it was difficult to read his announcement that his beloved partner Kit had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

They married in time for Kit’s first chemo appointment – another of the issues facing a same sex couple is having legal responsibilities in the event of illness

This autobiography goes into that painful time but it also gives some insight into a career which is as filled with humour and happiness as it is with sadness and pain.

The blurb for this book sums it up perfectly, you will howl with laughter, you will sob at the tragedy of losing the love of your life over such a short space of time and – ultimately – you will be thankful for the chance to come along for the ride as Ausiello shows the reader all the ups and downs of a life worth living.

Michael Ausiello’s SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DIES: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Other Four-Letter Words (Atria Books; September 12, 2017; $26.00) chronicles a fourteen-year love affair that culminated in a final year of illness, resilience, and, tragically, death.

About the Author:

Michael Ausiello is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of TVLine.com, a television entertainment website owned by Penske Media that launched in 2010. Ausiello began his publishing career in 1997 as a senior news editor at Soaps in Depth magazine before moving over to TV Guide in 2000. During his eight-year tenure there, he wrote for both the magazine and its website.

Ausiello’s columns at TV Guide included “The Ausiello Report” – a weekly print column that expanded into a regularly updated blog online – and “Ask Ausiello,” an exclusively online weekly Q&A that he also conducted after moving over to Entertainment Weekly in 2008. Ausiello has also contributed commentary to media outlets such as Today, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, and Access Hollywood. He lives in New York City.

I knew. I knew what it would be and, even knowing, (okay correctly guessing), didn’t stop the impact of this book one little bit.

I’m not going to spoiler in my review, I’m not going to try and summarise without revealing anything. I’m just going to say read this book. Do not try and find out what happens, you will kick yourself if you do. This book needs to be read blind.

This is a book about love, this is a book about pain, this is a book about expectations, second chances, fears, regrets, past lives lived. But, most of all, this is a book about hope.

At the end, when Pandora had opened the box and let out all the evils into the world, hope remained. This book is a powerful reminder to never let it go.

T J, I salute your incredible skill with words that you can take them and craft them into something so beautiful.

It’s no secret that am a huge Jay Northcote fangirl but I think, with this latest in the Housemates series, he’s absolutely on top of his game.

All the Housemates series have a charm to them which comes from exploring life as young adults either at university, or just graduated from it, the excitement of independent living, the freedom of exploration, the tentative emotions that come with the first serious “grown up” romance.

This one though has what I suspect is just more than a little bit of Jay himself as it examines the complexities of being a gay trans man finding their feet in the world.

We see Ben learning not only to deal with his own thoughts, anxieties and feelings, but also with adding in a significant other as his relationship with Sid developed.

I loved Ben, I wanted to hug him so badly and tell him how amazing he was to take the steps to being his own true self. But Sid, I fall at the feet of Sid for demonstrating, in his words and actions, how to be the best support for Ben and in taking his time to learn what made his boyfriend comfortable.

I hope people read this, the more diverse books looking at all aspects of the LGBTQ+ world the better. Jay has included a helpful glossary at the beginning of the book with resources on where to find out more information.

But I also hope people read this because it’s a beautiful love story about finding your self confidence and living an authentic life in partnership with someone who helps and encourages you to do so. And that applies to people of any sexual orientation, any colour, any race. Love does not discriminate.

Plus amazing cover from the fabulous Garrett Leigh which matches the beauty inside.

P.S. – Jay, we best be getting Johnny and Ryan next 😉

#ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an unbiased opinion and honest review.